Information on Adoption Criteria
Welcome to Adoption Australia. The following is a little more information on what is involved.

The Adoption Criteria in Australia varies form state to state however all adoptions are public and must comply with the Hague convention. Even inter-country adoptions cannot be private, this is important to note because if you do not go through the correct channels the child will be bared from entering Australia. The criteria is the same for inter-county as it is for domestic adoption, however with international adoption you will also have to meet the criteria of the country you are adopting from and this can be different and sometimes even more intrusive. It is important to get your application through correctly the first time as a failed application can harm your chances of being accepted the next time. If you are considering adopting you may like:

Detailed information on the Adoption process in your state
Information on adopting a child from Australia
Information on inter-country (overseas) adoption
Our recommendations on what you may need to do to meet the eligibility criteria of your local state adoption department
Details on the eligibility criteria from countries that are open to adoption by Australian families
Information on estimated costs and fees for the various adoption processes
Information on international law and how this effects inter-country adoptions, and recommendations to ensure everything you do is above board and meets international law
Contact details for agencies, support groups and non-governmental organisation involved in the adoption process

The process can vary from state to state however when adopting from overseas the process usually follows these steps

1 enquiry
2 education program
3aplication, assessment and approval
4 home study, waiting and matching
5 travel to meet and pick up child
6 supervision and application for child to receive Australian citizenship
7 completion – 1 year after receiving child both governments will finalise adoption

Parenting an adopted child is a rewarding and life changing experience, much like parenting a biological child. Adoption, however, is a different process that has started for you and your adopted child well before you have even met

If you have any questions on Adoption Criteria or about other issues involved with adoption, please fill in the form on our services page.